Classic Rock News

In 2023, KISS manager Doc McGhee said that a biopic about the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers was in the works and would arrive in 2024. While it’s definitely in the works, we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see it.

Deadline reports that director McG is in final negotiations to direct the film, titled Shout It Out Loud. Sources tell the website the studios involved feel he’s a great pick, having not only helmed big-budget films like Charlie’s Angels, but also music videos for artists like Korn, Sublime, The Offspring, Sugar Ray and Smash Mouth.

Casting is reportedly underway for the biopic, with production starting in the second half of 2025.

Since KISS wrapped up their touring career in 2023, they’ve announced plans for a digital avatar show and have also sold their catalog, name, image and likeness to Pophouse Entertainment for a reported $300 million.

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After Poison drummer Rikki Rockett wrote on Facebook Wednesday that frontman Bret Michaels “doesn’t want to” tour in 2025, fans began speculating about why Michaels feels that way, with some being less than generous with their theories. Michaels has now addressed the rumors directly in an Instagram post.

“To clear the air of any confusion, I just want to clarify to all the amazing family, friends and fans who I remain forever grateful for, that it’s no secret I have stated previously that in 2025 I’m planning to perform limited shows to focus primarily on health,” he wrote.

Michaels added that his “diabetes … needs a tuneup,” and that he needs “a little R&R” and “some much-needed personal family time.” He says that because 2026 will mark the 40th anniversary of the release of the band’s debut album, Look What The Cat Dragged In, “it would make perfect sense to have the possibility of a reunion in 2026.”

“In my opinion, it would be the perfect 40th Anniversary Tour, with 40 awesome limited dates to go out, play real live hit songs, and rock the world,” he wrote. “Poison hopefully will continue to rock the world in a 2026 headlining tour.” He cautioned, however, that “none of this is confirmed.”

The singer concluded, “To all the incredible fans, thank you for continuing to rock the world not only with the Bret Michaels Parti-Gras currently touring but also with Poison. I appreciate you letting me take a minute to clear any confusion. Stay tuned & have an awesome day!”

Look What The Cat Dragged In, which was released in August 1986, spun off the hits “Talk Dirty to Me,” “I Want Action” and “I Won’t Forget You.”

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Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Neil Young, Annie Lennox and Carole King are among the stars who have joined a 24-hour social media campaign to amplify climate change awareness.

The artists are all posting on Thursday to support the goals of the United Nations Human Rights initiative Right Here Right Now Global Climate Alliance. The plan is for them, as well as stars like Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, Billie Jean King and Jack Black, to reach more than 150 million people on their combined socials. 

The message they’re all sharing is “Climate Change is a Human Rights Crisis,” as well as invitations for fans to learn about the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, set for June 2025 at the University of Oxford.

“Together, we can champion human rights-based solutions [and] amplify environmental defenders’ voices,” the message continues.

The initiative is being launched nine months ahead of the actual event, according to organizers, so that “co-host universities around the world, participants, media, and the public have ample time to engage, paving the way for meaningful progress.”

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Alex Van Halen will promote his upcoming memoir, Brothers, with a three-city book signing tour.

The Van Halen drummer will be appearing Oct. 21 at Barnes & Noble’s Fifth Avenue New York City location; Oct. 22 at Books & Greetings in Northvale, New Jersey; and Oct. 24 at Live Talks LA @ The Frost Auditorium in Culver City, California. Tickets are required for each event, but the price of the ticket includes a copy of Brothers, which is officially releasing on Oct. 22.

The Culver City event, which includes a live chat with Alex, is also being made available virtually, if you can’t make it to California.

As previously reported, Alex recently shared a snippet of “Unfinished,” described as the “last piece of music” he and his late brother, Eddie Van Halen, wrote together, on social media. The entire song will be included in the audiobook version of Brothers, described by Alex as a love letter to Eddie, who died in October 2020.

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The 2023 edition of Eric Clapton‘s Crossroads Guitar Festival, which raises money for the guitarist’s Crossroads Centre treatment center in Antigua, will be released on digital, CD, vinyl and DVD in November.

The festival — returning after a four-year break — took place Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 at LA’s Crypto.com Arena and featured John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, H.E.R., Roger McGuinn, Santana, Jimmie Vaughan, ZZ Top, Stephen Stills, Stevie Wonder, The Wallflowers, Gary Clark Jr., John McLaughlin and more. It boasted Bill Murray as the night’s emcee.

The package documenting it all, Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023, is coming Nov. 29 and will be available as two DVDs, a four CD/two Blu-ray set, a six-LP vinyl box and on digital, both streaming and in Dolby Atmos.

Among the performances: Sheryl Crow doing “My Favorite Mistake” with John Mayer; Jimmie Vaughan performing his late brother Stevie Ray Vaughan‘s “Texas Flood”; The Wallflowers doing Tom Petty‘s “The Waiting”; Roger McGuinn doing The Byrds‘ “Eight Miles High” with Clapton and The Wallflowers; Stephen Stills, Clapton and The Wallflowers performing the Buffalo Springfield song “Bluebird”; and Clapton performing “I Shot the Sheriff” solo, doing “Crossroads” with Stevie Wonder and covering his late friend Robbie Robertson‘s song “It Makes No Difference.”

Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival began in 1999 and was subsequently held in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2019.

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On This Day, Sept. 12, 1975 …

Pink Floyd released their ninth studio album, Wish You Were Here.

The album featured the nine-part “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” which was a tribute to founding member Syd Barrett, who’d been fired seven years earlier due to his drug use and mental health issues.

The album’s title track became a classic rock staple and has often made lists of the greatest songs of all time. Other songs on the album include “Have a Cigar” and “Welcome to the Machine.”

Wish You Were Here went on to be a huge hit for the band, reaching #1 in both the U.S. and U.K. It became Pink Floyd’s fastest-selling album ever and went on to sell 20 million copies.

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Billy Joel is returning to the scene of the concert.

On Dec. 31, 2023, Billy rang in the new year at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York, the location of Wednesday night’s MTV Video Music Awards. Now he’s announced that he’ll return to the venue on Dec. 31 to ring in 2025.

A CITI presale starts Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. ET. The general sale begins Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. ET.

Since Billy wrapped up his Madison Square Garden residency in July, he’s been filling out his 2025 schedule, announcing a show at Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena on Feb. 22 — his first at the venue since 2008 — and a show at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, on Jan. 17.

He also has several remaining dates on the schedule for 2024, including a show with Rod Stewart in Cleveland Friday, plus three shows with Sting and two solo concerts in Inglewood, California, and Hollywood, Florida. A complete list of dates can be found at billyjoel.com.

On Wednesday, Billy commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks by posting a photo of himself performing at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit TV special, which aired on Sept. 21, 2001. He and wife wrote, “This morning, we took a moment to share the stories of that day with our children. It still seems like yesterday … the emotions we feel are as profound today as they were 23 years ago.”

They added, “We hope for all to unite and remember that fateful day. God Bless America.”

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The Beatles are set to release a new box set highlighting the albums they released in the U.S. between January 1964 and March 1965.

The Beatles: 1964 U.S. Albums In Mono is an eight-LP set featuring seven albums – Meet The Beatles!, The Beatles’ Second Album, A Hard Day’s Night (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), Something New, The Beatles’ Story (2LP), Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles. All have been analog cut from the original mono master tapes and will be released on 180-gram audiophile vinyl. 

The set, dropping Nov. 22, will mark the first time these albums have been available on vinyl since 1995. They will all feature replicated artwork, along with essays by American Beatles historian and author Bruce Spizer.

In addition to the set, all of the titles, with the exception of The Beatles’ Story, will be available to order separately.

All are available for preorder now.

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Sammy Hagar recently wrapped the U.S. leg of his The Best of All Worlds tour, and he’s already thinking about doing it again.

The former Van Halen frontman shared a post-tour video message to fans to let them know how much he enjoyed the trek, which had him playing not only his solo material, but plenty of Van Halen classics.

“I can’t express enough how impressed I was with the turnout and the vibe that everyone was laying down, singing the songs at the top of your lungs, every song,” he said. “We thought we were playing deep tracks, and it turns out that you know those, too. It was just one of the greatest experiences.” 

Hagar said he probably could have done more shows but he was concerned about overdoing it. Now that it’s over, he says, “I can tell you right now, my voice held up fine. I was happy every night. And my body held up fine. I feel better than ever right now.”

As for what’s in store for Hagar next, he’s headed to Japan for three Best of All Worlds shows starting Sept. 20, and he has birthday bashes in Las Vegas and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October.

As for the future, he seems optimistic about revisiting the tour.

“I can tell you right now, I definitely wanna do it again and knowing how much I can do, it’s gonna be less of a mystery and just as much of a party,” he said. “It was really, really special. I haven’t felt that good about a show I’ve done for the fans in a long time.”

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The MTV Video Music Awards went down in New York Wednesday night, with Lenny Kravitz and Benson Boone this year’s rock winners.

Kravitz nabbed the Best Rock award for “Human” from his latest album, Blue Electric Light, beating out U2, Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Green Day and Kings of Leon. 

“I am so grateful,” he said on the red carpet, where he received his award. He dedicated the honor to his late mother, actress Roxie Roker, noting, “Thirty-one years ago my mother was with me. The last time she was with me at an award show was at the VMAs.”

Kravitz also performed on the telecast, treating the VMA audience to a three-song medley: the classic “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Human” and “Fly,” his collaboration with Quavo. The track is a reimagining of Kravitz’s 1998 hit “Fly Away.” 

Meanwhile, Boone was the winner of the Best Alternative award for “Beautiful Things.” Boone, who performed the winning song on the show, beat out Bleachers, Hozier, Imagine Dragons, Linkin Park and Teddy Swims for the trophy.

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